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Missing Since: August-September 1930 from New York City, New York Classification: Missing Age: 22 years old

Details of Disappearance

Ritz worked as a showgirl in the New York City area in 1930. She was romantically involved with Joseph Crater, a married associate justice on the New York State Supreme Court, at the time. Crater had political and criminal connections, mainly due to his involvment in the city's Tammany Hall Democratic organization. Ritz met Crater and another friend at Billy Has's Chophouse on West 45th Street during the evening hours of August 6, 1930. Crater departed from the restaurant later that night and disappeared. His case has never been solved and has led to widespread speculation about his fate.

Ritz vanished several weeks after Crater was last seen. She has never been heard from again. Authorities were never able to determine if Ritz slipped away with Crater or if both were victims of foul play. Some people believe that Ritz was aware of criminal information that involved Crater and was murdered as a result.

Ritz's case has never received as much attention as that of Crater's unsolved disappearance, but she was never located. The investigations into both Crater and Ritz's whereabouts have long been closed, but their stories will live on for decades to come.

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.

..Billy Haas's restaurant at 332 West Forty-fifth Street in Manhattan was a popular restaurant with the theatre crowd of the Prohibition era. On the warm, humid evening of August 6, 1930, theatrical lawyer William Klein was eating dinner at the restaurant with show girl Sally Lou Ritz. Klein looked up from his meal and saw a friend, a Judge, enter the restaurant. The lawyer invited the judge to dine with them, and he accepted. After dinner Klein and the girl climbed into a Yellow cab and waved goodbye to their dinner companion. Sally Lou remembered seeing the Judge standing by the curb as they drove away. No one who knew him ever admitted to seeing Judge Joseph Force Crater again...

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.

According to the Seattle Daily Times of September 24, 1930, on September 23, in Youngstown, OH, Ritz gave her own version of her meeting with Crater on August 6.

She stated that she and her parents were dining with William Klein when Klein invited Crater to join them. She claimed Crater said he was going swimming in Westchester and returning to Maine the next day.

The Springfield (MA) Republican of October 2, 1930 told it a little differently. In that account, Ritz said she wasn't sure of the date, but thought it was August 6 when Crater joined her and Klein for dinner after a chance meeting in a restaurant. They all talked for about 2 hours, and Klein and Ritz left in a taxi. She last saw Crater standing on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. No mention was made of her parents.